Portland Police Warn of a Scary Extortion Attempt By Phone

Phone scams are running rampant these days. How many times in a week do you get a call from a number that looks like it's local but turns out to be someone trying to sell you something, get you to donate to a fake fireman's fund or tell you that your loan is over due, but don't know the name of your bank? The scammers will stop at nothing.

The Portland Police are warning people of a new phone scam that can really put fear in you if you aren't aware of what's really going on. They've received reports from two families who received calls from a man claiming that their child has been kidnapped and demands that the parent purchase Google Play cards to insure their safety. They even had someone pretending to be the child screaming in the background.

There's one problem with this scam in both of these cases reported. The child they named was an adult who did not live with their parents anymore. Dummies.

That doesn't mean that someone might not fall for this scam, so police ask that if you receive any of these calls to hang up and call your local police department immediately. Do not give the caller any information.